Bad Samaritan

Nick Forte has a hard time leaving well enough alone. He seriously injures a man for slapping a woman Forte has never seen before, so when Becky Tuttle comes to him with disconcerting letters sent to her author alter ago Desiree d'Arnaud, he does more than a cursory investigation. Following the thread of Becky's problem leads through a local cop who takes the situation too lightly for Forte's taste and into the disturbing world of men's rights activists, for whom he has no use at all.

Becky's case isn't the only thing going on in Forte's life. A chance meeting with Lily O'Donoghue, a former prostitute whose mother's death Forte feels responsible for, leads to a blackmailer who has videos of Lily's former occupation. Forte takes care of the blackmailer with minimal fuss, but learns (again) that no good deed goes unpunished. Forte's innocent intercession brings him back into the sphere of Chicago gangster Mickey Touhy, who has interest in both Lily and Forte.

"Tough, taut, unsentimental, and as hard-boiled as a dinosaur egg; Dana King delivers a private-eye procedural that would make Joe Gores proud." --David Housewright, Edgar Award-winning author

"Nick Forte is a throwback to the classic tough guy, politically incorrect PI who takes care of business. He's the kind of guy you'd want working for you, if you were in a tough spot. And Dana King is a master at creating a low-down, dirty world where everyone needs a someone like Forte on his side." --Charles Salzberg, author of the Henry Swann mysteries

"Dana King's Nick Forte is a two-fisted, no-nonsense PI in the tradition of Amos Walker and Mike Hammer, who is aware of his strengths and willing to confront his weaknesses. Don't pick up Bad Samaritan if you can't take a punch."--J.L. Abramo, Shamus Award-winning author of Circling the Runway